Chapter Text
Penny’s arms wrapped around Nathalie as her transformation let go. Nathalie felt herself melt in her arms.
“You guys were gone for two days,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “I was so worried.”
Nathalie pulled away from her girlfriend as Gabriel exclaimed, “ What? ”
Penny glanced between the two of them. “How long was it for you?”
“A few hours, maybe,” Nathalie said. “Oh my god .” She turned to Gabriel, “ Call Adrien .”
Gabriel shifted. “He’s fine, Nat.”
Her eyes went wide at that. “What do you mean, he’s fine.”
“He’s a capable kid, he’s probably fine. I’ll text him to meet me at the house,” Gabriel answered, pulling out his phone for emphasis.
That enraged her further, and she was about to reply, when Nathalie felt Penny put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t argue or stress about it. I covered for both of you, because I’m a capable accomplice.” She glanced over to Gabriel, “I made sure Adrien was taken care of, as well.”
Gabriel’s nostrils flared out, but took in another breath. He stared back at Penny, and something resembling understand passed between them. “ Thank you . Take care. Nat, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He transported away, and Nathalie pulled Penny back to her. They stayed like this, holding each other. Penny pulled bobby pins out of Nathalie’s hair, dropping them on the hardwood floor. Then, she ran her fingers through her partner’s hair. It calmed Nathalie further, and it was only when she stopped shaking that Nathalie realized she had been shaking to begin with.
Nathalie finally broke the silence, “You must’ve thought-”
Penny cut her off. “It’s okay.”
She pulled away from Penny, just so she could look her in her eyes. “It’s not. I don’t want to put you through that ever again. Playing hero isn’t fair to you.”
For a second, Penny looked completely struck by Nathalie’s words. Then, she shook her head. “You deserve to redeem yourself, Nathalie. And you’re amazing at it.”
“Nothing I will do change what I’ve done.”
“It lessens the blow,” She replied, taking hold of Nathalie’s hands, and bringing them to her lips.
Nathalie shook her head. “ You didn’t sign up for this.”
“So?” Penny replied, with a grin. “I don’t expect you to be the same person five years from now, but as things are going, I’m still going to be in love with you five years from now.”
Nathalie pulled Penny back to her, hugging her tightly.
“And, dating a former supervillain kind of does it for me.”
That made her laugh. “Oh, is it the power?”
“No, it's the blue skin and the threat of constant danger,” Penny answered, pressing a kiss to her partner’s che.
XXX
Gabriel sat in his office, waiting.
He glanced back down at his phone. Adrien had read the text, of course, he’d be home soon.
It has been two days. Please come home.
His son was a fast-moving ball of panic and anxiety.
When Adrien opened the doors of the office, Gabriel motioned for him to sit.
“I can explain, Father, I-”
Gabriel held up a hand. “There is no need for explanations. I-”
He stopped himself, and blinked, pressing his lips together. “I know you’re Chat Noir,” Gabriel finally said. “I covered for you these past two days, and waited for you to come home.”
Adrien slumped back in his chair, looking completely horrified. “How did you know ?”
“I’m your father? I noticed.”
Frowning, the boy glanced away, setting his hands awkwardly on his father’s desk. “I didn’t realized you paid that much attention,” he eventually whispered.
Gabriel reached across the desk, placing his hand over Adrien’s. It comforted Adrien, but his father was only reminded of the ring on Adrien’s finger. “I understand. The important thing is that you stay safe, Adrien.”
The boy pulled his hand away. “I can’t stop being Chat Noir, dad.”
“I know,” Gabriel amended, leaning back in his chair. “I know what it means to you, that freedom and anonymity. But, I need you to stay as far away from Paon and Hawkmoth as you can. I cannot have you walking them around the mansion, disabling cameras.”
Adrien’s mouth fell open, “ How- ”
“I know when my company’s servers are tampered with. And files have backups.” Gabriel changed the subject before Adrien could question him further. “Paon and Hawkmoth are dangerous.”
Adrien frowned. “They said the same about you.”
He snorted, “As though I’m in the same league as magical terrorists? I know I’m not a good person, but please spare me.”
“And Nathalie.”
“What about her?” Gabriel asked him. Adrien loved her, clearly, and his father was in no mood to shatter the illusion.
“They said to stay away from her, too. Paon said she kidnapped her.” Adrien glanced away. “You didn’t tell me that,” he muttered.
Gabriel bit back a reply that his son was too young. Instead, he answered, “Nathalie is a very private person, Adrien. You have to understand that even if she wanted you to know, she wouldn’t have been able to tell you. She’s never going to be open about herself in that way.”
Adrien raised his eyebrows at that, “Like you?”
“We have similar traits.”
He paused. “Why not Nathalie?”
Every muscle in his body forced himself to keep his expression neutral. “Excuse me?”
The boy flushed. “I-I mean, you two seem like you’d go well together. Did you ever, um, why haven't you-”
Gabriel held up a hand with a small smile, and pulled off a perfect lie. “Nathalie is a lesbian, Adrien. She wouldn't never be interested in me, even if I wanted, which I don't. It works great in everyone’s favor.”
XXX
Penny had been working at her desk, listening to demos of potential opening acts when there was a lull in the music, and she heard footsteps behind her.
She spun around in her chair and practically screamed at Hawkmoth, standing behind her desk.
Ripping her earbuds out, she demanded in a hushed tone, “what the hell are you-”
“We need to talk. Preferably in private.”
The woman exhaled, and considered pulling out her phone and calling Nathalie. Then, she remembered that Nathalie would probably commit a murder of Hawkmoth killed her.
She took the hand he had offered, and the world fell apart around her. Her hand gripped tighter around Hawkmoth’s, as it seemed there was nothing around her. Then, the universe reformed.
It was his butterfly lair.
“There is nothing to discuss,” she told him softly, pulling her hand away. Penny brushed away butterflies that landed on her shoulder.
He cleared his thrust. “You know Adrien’s identity.”
Penny pressed her lips together. “I do,” she said, as it was useless to deny it.
“How?”
“Nathalie loves him to death, Gabriel. When you two went missing, I attempted to locate him to make sure he was safe, but he was missing as well.”
A silence fell over the two of them.
“Did he figure out that you're Hawkmoth?”
“No,” he answered, not quite hiding his relief. “I intend to keep it that way.”
Penny nodded. “No one wants him to find out.”
Hawkmoth seemed pleased with her response. “You can't tell Nathalie that he’s Chat.”
She pressed her lips together. “Yeah, I wasn't planning on it.”
“If she found out he was Chat, she would take his miraculous.”
Laughing automatically, she leaned against him, hysterical as tears sprang to her eyes. He pushed away from her and glared.
Penny shook her head, “You don’t know her, do you?”
Hawkmoth rolled her eyes, “Of course I know her.”
Crossing the distance between him, Penny looked up at Hawkmoth, who seemed suddenly frightened at this small woman standing far too close to him. “If you knew her, you’d know that she loves Adrien more than anything,” she told him. Then, her voice dropped slightly, “Nathalie would destroy you if she knew that it was him you were attacking.”
Hawkmoth took in a deep breath. “That’s highly unlikely, Ms. Rolling.” Sadly, he did not sound convinced of that.
“And she’ll know that you already knew about him, won’t she?” She tilted her head to the side, watching the thought cross the villain’s face. “I can’t imagine anything less than an attempted murder. I don’t like it, obviously, but I know her.”
You don’t know her, she thought, but refused to say. You will never know her.